Hatching and brooding coop



Sept. 9 1924.

S. N. DODD HATCHING AND BROODING COOP Filed Sept. 12. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Patented Sept. 9, 1924.

' UNITED STATES SILAS N. DODD, F TOLEDO/IOWA.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SrL'As N. Donn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Tama andState of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Hatching and Brooding Coop, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of my invention is to lprovide an improved hatching and brooding coop of comparatively simple, durable and inexpensive construction adapted to be used in connection with hatching and raising poultry. More specifically it is the object of my invention to provide an` improved coop of such size and shape that a single hen may be housed for the purpose of hatching and raising her broodof chickens, the coop being so arranged that it may be placed at any desired place in the yard and so constructed that it may be first used lfor hatching purposes, then forbrooding the small chickens to protect them from the weatherr and small animals during theV brooding stage.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangementand combination of the various parts ofthe device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims', and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: h y

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved coop.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same with the cover of the coop removed. Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a vertical, sectional viewtaken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 isa detail plan view ofthedrinking fountaimshowing a portion-of the frame in which it is mountedin section.

Figure 6 is anY end elevation of'Figure 5. My improved coop has substantially the shape of a small 1' building having a floor member '10 supported on base members 11. The coopis provided with side walls 12 and end walls 13 and 14. The saidside and end members yfare provided with a roof 15. The said coop is preferably constructed of wood.

The side and end members are secured together by meansof screws 16. U

4The upper. end of eachv of the end members is provided with .ventilating openings 17. A door 18 is hinged tothe lower edge of the end1member13 by means of hinges 19. The loweredge of the door 18 -is designed to swing outwardly and upwardly HATGHTNG AND BROODING COOP. Y `A 'Application mea ,september 12,1923. semi No. 662,253.

and to be supported in substantially a hori- .I 1,507,910 PATENT OFFICE;

zontal position by meansy of a chain 20,-one

end of which is secured to theupper portion of the end member 13, the lower 'end of the chain being secured tol the'door 18by means of a hook 21.A This provides means whereby the door may .be swung either in avhorizontal positionor in any desired inclined position so as lto support the door entirely openor partially open. When the door 18 ismoved to a closed position the entire end' of ,the

coop is closed. i

I have alsov provided a screen door 22 which is pivoted .beneath thelowerfedge of the member 13 and between the walls 12 by.

means of pivots 23. The door v22 is of a width less than the door opening formed beneath the lower edge ofthe member13'. A passageway 24 is provided beneath the lower edge of the door 23` when the said door is in a closed'position The said screen' door 22 provides ventilation forthe'coop in warm weather, and atthe same time permits the young chickens to pass in and out through the opening 24.

The lower edge of the doori22 is provided with an eyelet 25 by means of' which the door 22 may. be swung to a horizontallpositionbef neath the door 18 when the said door is also in a horizontal positionfas clearly shown Y in Figure 1.l The f eyelet 25 is secured in a hook 26. This lpermits the coop to be entirely opened to provide means whereby the attendant `may have access to' the rinterior of the coop, or topermit and enter as she wishes.

. Secured to.- thev left-hand .f base member shown in Figure 4, I-have provided a runway 27 pivotally mounted to the -said mem-v ber 11, and ofsuchl width that it may be swung toa vertical position vto cover lthe opening 24, with theouterend of the door or runway 27overlappi-ngthe' lower end of the door 22'.y This provides means for closing the left hand end ofthe! coop to prevent the small vchickens .from enteringk or leaving, and at the same `time have sufficient .ventilation through the screen^22. kIn stormy weather, the door 18 .may be lowered in which case thefhen to leave the runway 27 isfmoved to its lower position,

narrow so as to provide a dooropening 29 beneath it.' The lower' edge of the member' 14 is provided with a hinged doorl-30 for closingL the `,op edili/ng' `29, said door being capable of being elevated to a horizontal position.

Adjacent to the sides of the-opening 29 i have provided screen frames 31 which are secured to the outer faces of the members 12 by means of screws 32 in such a manner that the screens may be detachably secured in position, with their lower edges on the ground in such amanner as to form a runway or yard between them, the yard being provided with an outer end member 33, which is also formed of screen.

The screens 31 are ot a width substantially equal to the distance between the lower edge'of the member' 14 and the ground surface7 so that the upper edge of t-he screens are substantially in line with the door 3() when it is in its horizontal andopen position. This provides means whereby the said door 30 may be utilized part ofthe cover for the yard. The remaining portion of the top of the yard is provided with a screen 34 which is also screwed into position. All of the said screens are provided with suitable frame so that they may be detachably connected with each other for the vurpose of packing them while shipping. t maybe mentioned also that the side members 12, and the end members 13 and 14 and the top' portion 15' are also screwed together for the' same purpose.

The door 30 is' designed to swing downwardly between the members 31 so that the opening 29 may be closed ifl so desired, the door 30 being supported in its elevated position by means of a turn buckle 35', one end of which is pivotally secured to the door 30 while the opposite end isdesigned to rest on the inner end of the frame 34,

I have provided aI drinking fountain shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6., which comprises' substantially a rectangular tank 36 formed very shallow, of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the frame members of the screens 31. One end of the tank 36 is provided with extending ears 3T pivotally connected to members 38 secured to' the upper edge of the lower one of the frame members of one of the screens 31, said frame member being designated by the numeral 39 in Figure 6.

The tank 36 is so arranged that it will foldlintov 'the' position shown in dotted lines in" Figure 6, with its open side adjacent to the screen wire. i Forsupp'oiting the outer edge of the tank 36j; I have provided pivoted legs 40 so arranged that when the tank is moved` to its lower position, the legs will swing to a vertical position and rest on the ground surface, supporting the tank inal horizontal position. The tank may be tilled `with water by opening the door 30. The said tank is positioned beneath the said shown in Figure 1.

A runway 41 is provided for the opening 29, one end of which is designed to rest on a cleat 42 and the opposite end on the ground.

For nesting purposes I have provided a rectangular bor: or frame 43 having end members 44 and side members 45, the said box being of a length substantially equal to the width of the coop or the space between the walls 12. The box 43 may be moved longitudinally in the coop inany desired position, either located centrally or at either end. After the chickenshave been hatched, the nestV 43 may be entirely removed if so desired.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a chicken coop of comparativelyT simple, durable and inexpensive construction, which door, as clearly may be constructed and built in a factory as a. knock-down construction, and which may be easily and lquickly assembled whenit is desired to use the same, the coopbeing adapted to first hatch ,thev eggs, the henbeing permitted to use the runway provided by the screens 31 to give her the desired eX- ercise. After the eggs have ybeen hatched, the nest may be removed .and the coop utilized for brooding purposes, the little chickens being permitted to use the runway provided at the right hand end ofthe coopor permitted to use the opening 24.

By providing the floor 10 supported on the members 11, it will be seen that a comparatively dry place will be provided for the hen and chickens duringVV the wet and stormy weather.

I claim as my invention :V

1. A coop formed with side andnend members and having a suitable'k roof, the end members being' formed narrow tfori a door opening beneath them, the coop bef ing provided with an' elevated bottom, a. door hinged tothe lower edge of each ofV the end members designed to swing `from an open horizontal positionto a lclosed vertical position, means for adjustably supporting one of the doors in its elevatedposition, ka screen door pivotally mounted in oneof the door openings adapted to swing from a vertical position, to-a horizontal position, and means for supporting said screen door in its horizontal position 'beneath the first said door which is adjustably mounted, Said screen door being shorter than the opening in which it is mountedforthe purpose of providing `a passageway beneath it.V when closed. Y p

2. A coop formed with side and end members and having -a suitable roof, Athe end members being formedfnarrow' to form a door opening beneath them, the coopbeing provided with an elevated bottom, a

door'hinged to the `lower edge of each of` iis Y fao,

ist

the end members designed to swing from an open horizontal position to a closed vertical position, means for adjustably supporting.

one of the doors in its elevated position, a screen door pivotally mounted in' one of the door opening adapted to swing from av vertical position to a horizontal position, means for supporting said screen door in its horizontal position beneath the -first said door which is adjustably mounted, said screen door being shorter than the opening in which it is mounted for the purpose of providing a passage way beneath it when closed, and a pivoted runway adjacent to the lower edge of the last said door opening, said runway being adapted to swing .to a vertical position to close the opening provided beneath the said screen door.

3. A coop formed with side and end members and having a suitable roof, the end members being formed narrow to form a doo-r opening bene-ath them, the coop being provided with an elevated bottom,l a door hinged to the lower edge of each of vthe end members designed to swing from an open horizontal position to ya closed vertical position, means for adjustably supporting one of the doors in its elevated position, a

screen door pivotally mounted in one of the door openings adapted to swing from a vertical to a horizontal position, means for supporting said screen door in its horizontal position beneath the first said door which V is adjustably mounted, said screen door. being shorter than' the opening in which 1t is mounted for the purpose of providing a passageway beneath it, a pivoted runway adjacent to the lower edge of the last said door opening, said runway being adapted to swing to a vertical position to close the open#` other, and comprising side members and one end member, the said screens being so `arranged that one of the door openings for said coop will swing upwardly between y them to a position to form a cover for closing the top of said yard, a cover member for the remaining portion of said yard and means for locking the door in position to y Y.

form a cover for said yard.

Des Moines, Iowa, August 7, 1923.

f s SILAS N. DDDD, 

